Transit
8 Republicans Bucking the Party on Climate Change and Transit
Reps. Mack (CA), Kirk (IL) and Reichert (WA) are among a small group of Republicans who voted for the recent climate change bill. It turns out these eight are also supporters of transit. Streetsblog makes the connection.
Masterplanning the Architecture of the Near Future
As the population rises, underused and empty spaces are going to fill in. How well the transition works depends on shifts in demographics and infrastructure, as well as architecture. A studio of UCLA architecture students were asked to plot that transition. But before they could be architects, they had to be planners.
Transit Operating Aid in War Bill
House and Senate negotiators decided a $106 billion war bill, from which 10 percent would be granted to transit operating costs.
Commuter Buses Have Atlantans Fuming
Idling commuter buses in Atlanta cause air pollution and traffic congestion, and locals are getting fed up.
Fewer Shoppers Driving into Downtown
Only 17% of shoppers in downtown San Francisco drove to get there, according to a new survey conducted by The San Francisco County Transportation Authority.
Take a ride on the Scwebebahn
I’d been obsessed with it ever since I saw The Princess and the Warrior. (Between that and the funicular in Flashdance, there is just something about bad-ass chicks that commute via unique transit.) So, when I found myself with an unexpected free morning in Essen, Germany, after especially cooperative weather for photographing the day before, I hopped on the S-Bahn towards Wuppertal to see the famed train.
Ignoring Cars in Toronto
The City of Toronto prioritizes pedestrians, cyclists and transit over cars. Some in the city are concerned that the city is ignoring a car congestion problem that is only growing.
Light Rail Expands in Toronto
New light rail projects are taking off in the Toronto area. A new 15km line will be operational by 2013, but the city is still trying to raise funds to replace its aging streetcar stock.
Charlotte Transit Plans Face Delays, Even With Tax Increase
Votes in the Charlotte area are considering another raise to their sales tax to fund transit projects. New documents show the tax increase may not bring the improvements quickly. But without the raise, some projects may never get built.
BART Planning Huge Investment in New Cars
BART is set to embark on a $3.4 billion project to replace its existing trains with 700 new cars that will carry more people, move passengers through stations faster, and meet the needs of suburban and urban riders.
Obama's High Speed Rail Plans
Neal Peirce looks at President Barack Obama's ambitious plans for high speed rail and the significant obstacles that stand in its way.
10-Cent Gas Tax Needed for Dallas-Fort Worth Transit
It would take at least an additional 10-cent tax on gasoline to fund transit and transportation projects in metropolitan Dallas-Fort Worth, according to city officials who want to ask voters to allow the increases.
Charlotte Considers Doubling Tax to Fund Transit
Mecklenburg County commissioners are scheduled to debate whether to add a second half-cent sales tax to fund transit in the Charlotte area.
Transit, or Schools?
Atlanta school leaders consider renegotiating a Tax Allocation District (TAD) agreement that was set up to help fund projects such as the Beltline, a 22-mile loop of transit, trails, parks and development around the city.
California Eliminates Transit, Expands Freeways
Here in San Diego, public transportation is on life support. Despite record ridership, trolley and bus service has been reduced, with some bus routes cancelled altogether. Fares are up across the board. The monthly light rail pass will be $72; three years ago it was $60.
Forget Closing the Freeway Loop, Fund Transit
Charlotte politicians have been pushing for the completion of a freeway loop around the city -- a $220 million project. Mary Newsom argues that road funding would better serve the city and the region if it were directed to Charlotte's transit system.
The Next 30 Years of Portland Transit
Portland's Metro authority is mapping out the region's transit plans for the next 30 years, and the public is getting involved.
Without Rail, Sydney Will Fall Behind Global Cities
Without a proper light rail system, Sydney will get left behind as other global cities progress into a diverse transit future, according to planning expert Peter Newman.
Free Pancakes, Free Rides, and (Almost) Free Beer
We Americans love a discount. Wal-Mart and the discount retail boom are proof enough of that. What we love even more, though, is free stuff. Just slap the word "free" before almost anything and we'll line up. This mentality represents some challenges for cities, but also some opportunities. The challenge is that if people don't have to pay for something, they probably won't. And the opportunity is that if people don't have to pay for something, they're way more likely to want it. Let's think of this concept in terms of three innately American traditions: pancakes, mobility, and beer.
Milwaukee to Receive Hibernating Transit Funds
Nearly $100 million in transportation funding that has been sidelined in Milwaukee over bureaucratic disagreements will finally come to use, as Mayor Tom Barrett announces provisions in the Federal Omnibus Budget Bill call for it to be spent.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
